October 2011, Nashville, TN -- Mike Cain, co-managing partner of Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC (LBMC), accepted the Entrepreneurial Partner NEXT Award on Tuesday, October 18. The NEXT Awards, a partnership between the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, recognize the accomplishments of companies and individual entrepreneurs in five areas of business especially important to the Nashville economy: health care; technology; digital media and entertainment; sustainability and alternative energy; and social enterprise.

With more than 25 years of experience working with start-ups and venture-backed companies, LBMC is not new to new businesses. The company describes itself as “Entrepreneurs who serve Entrepreneurs.”

“We stay connected to the communities and the markets so we understand the changes taking place,” says Mike Cain, co-managing partner of LBMC. This has proven to be beneficial as LBMC has launched seven LBMC companies, each designed to meet the needs of the businesses and individuals the firm serves.

In an interview with the Tennessean, Cain was asked to share the secret of LBMC’s success. “First, is hiring the right people and adhering to an entrepreneurial spirit. Second, continually listening to our clients and their changing needs. Third, staying connected to the communities and industries in our markets so we understand the changes taking place,” he said. “And lastly, not being afraid to make a mistake.”

The 2011 NEXT Awards winners include:

Startup

• Health Care - Vivere Health
• Technology - HCTec, LLC
• Digital Media - Rockhouse Partners
• Sustainability - (n)habit
• Social Enterprise - Burger Up

Growth

• Health Care - PharmMD
• Technology - BEDROC (formerly ICV Solutions, Inc.)
• Digital Media - Rabbit Hole Creative, LLC
• Sustainability - WAP Sustainability Consulting, LLC
• Social Enterprise - Magdalene Inc., dba Thistle Farms

Market Mover

• Health Care - USr Healthcare
• Technology - Capital Confirmation, Inc.
• Digital Media - Music City Networks
• Sustainability - LightWave Solar
• Social Enterprise - YouthMerch

Entrepreneurial Partner

• Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain, P.C.

Legacy Entrepreneurs

• Health Care – Clayton McWhorter
• Technology - Tod Fetherling
• Digital Media - John Ingram
• Sustainability – Earl Swensson
• Social Enterprise – Hal Cato

Youth Entrepreneur

• Jake Jorgovan, Rabbit Hole Creative

Startup Entrepreneur

• Tasha Ross, FiddleCakes

Woman Entrepreneur

• Beth Chase, C3 Consulting

Minority Entrepreneur

• Eddie Hamilton, Centennial Pediatrics

Entrepreneurs of the Year

• Health Care - Herb Fritch, Healthspring
• Technology - David Klements, Qualifacts Systems
• Digital Media - Clint Smith, Emma, Inc.
• Sustainability - Steve Johnson, Lightwave Solar
• Social Enterprise - Becca Stevens, Magdalene, Inc. dba Thistle Farms
• Overall - Saurabh Sinha, emids Technologies

Company of the Year

• Vanguard Health Systems

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, PC, and The LBMC Family of Companies have approximately 400 employees, with offices in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC has expanded its focus to meet a broad range of needs for its diverse client base. Services provided by the LBMC family of companies include accounting and assurance services, business and personal tax consulting, permanent and temporary staffing, human resources outsourcing, payroll services, technology services, healthcare consulting, planning services, business valuations, investment advisory services, and mergers and acquisitions.